Kerr could feel the tension from that game as the car headed north. She played for Lake Howell that day, while Birle was on Winter Springs.

"I could tell she was upset about it for a little bit," said Kerr, the Silver Hawks' second baseman. "By the time we were a few miles down the road, though, we were already joking about it.

"I was happy we won, but I also was sad for her loss."

As the high-school season begins this week, Birle, a first baseman-pitcher for Winter Springs, and Kerr are back on the Sentinel coverage area's top teams. The seniors for No. 1 Lake Howell and No. 2 Winter Springs also are best friends, and the uniforms they wear won't change that.

"Last year, when she would get on first, we would talk all the time," Birle said. "This year, it will be a little different with me pitching most of the time and having to face her.

"If she gets a hit, I'll probably think, 'Yea!' because she is my best friend. Then it will be like, 'Oh, darn,' because I have to think about my team first."

Said Lake Howell coach Thomas Kreahling: "It motivates them that much more when they play against each other, because it's for bragging rights. That's the one time they are ultra-competitive with one another.''

Lake Howell and Winter Springs split four games last year, all decided by one run in extra innings They are scheduled to meet at least twice this season, on March 7 and April 5.

Kerr, a North Florida signee who hit 12 home runs, drove in 45 and batted .490 in 2012, and Birle met on the Winter Springs Thunder, a 10-and-under travel team coached by their fathers, Eric Birle and Robert Kerr. They are teammates on the Gainesville Gold 18s and assistant coaches on the Winter Springs Panthers, a 12-and-under team coached by Birle's dad.

"I don't think it is that unusual to have friends on other high-school teams, because we all play travel ball together," said Lake Brantley junior pitcher Mikaela Aiken, who played on the Thunder with Kerr and Birle. "I am good friends with Samantha Worrell [of Hagerty], but the friendship that Elizabeth and Ashia have is really special.

"They do everything together."

Elizabeth attends birthday parties for Ashia's younger siblings. They often go to movies and spend time at each other's houses.

"In our family, Ashia is like a second daughter," Eric Birle said. "As a parent, I couldn't be happier or luckier that they are both such good friends. They root for each other."

Said Elizabeth, a Virginia Tech signee who hit 13 homers with 41 RBIs and batted .451 last year and was 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA on the mound: "If we didn't have softball, I wonder whether we would have ever met and become best friends. Now we are together all the time. We took a whole, entire week or so and took a trip and visited colleges together."

Ashia said it will be difficult next year when the two are at different colleges.

"I'm sure we will Skype each other or text or talk on the phone,'' she said. "We will always be there for each other."